Entry 1: Huzzah! After an agonizingly long trek through lands that could best be described as "elven", we have arrived! The site in question, although certainly as frigid as the prospector had told us, is rich in wood and stone, and should be an excellent outpost, provided we can survive come winter.Entry 2: After several days searching for suitable entry points, we've decided to strike the earth at a natural shale wall located near a peaceful brook. Shin will be pleased! The lead miner, an eerily calm fellow with the dubious name of 'Ralion' requested blueprints for the main floor. I'm not really qualified, but I gave it a try. I'm not sure they like it.Entry 3: Goodness! The gods must have their eyes on us! In a single day of digging, we've come across veins of both bauxite and ruby. Few dwarves have been this fortunate in this short period of time. ...I'll keep a look out for monsters. This doesn't feel right.Entry 4: Progress on the Northern wing is coming nicely. It seems that the miners have seen better, but it's definitely not the worst they've ever dug out. That vein of bauxite turned out to be larger than we initially thought. Supposing we can get some craft booths up and running, we should have a good source for scrimshaw.Entry 5: We're low on alcohol. It's only been a week. Someone's skimming off the top, and I can't figure out who. I swear, if we have to cut back to only 8 pints a day, someone's getting hung from the rafters. Entry 6: Psst. Don't tell anyone I wrote so, but it seems that Ralion and Raryn have been getting a bit close lately. Spending so much time in the dark tunnels together, it's no real surprise. I wonder if they have plans? ...oh great. I'm gossiping. And writing to myself. I need alcohol.Entry 7: Due to our lack of hops-based hydration, we've been forced to resort to water. Bland, useless water. I've ordered the construction of a well to be fed from the brook through an underground canal. The stone-grubbers are starting to get on my nerves with their smoochy smooch crap. If I thought we could get along without them, I'd send them to strip-mine that quartz deposit a couple miles from hereEntry 8: Finally, something else to do besides stare at the sun and drink from a damned river. The miners inform me that they've finally completed the first section of the main floor.Maybe if we can get a brewery going, I'll feel better.Entry 9: Scoundrels! The kobolds have been sending scouts to our fortress! We only found out because one of the scaly little bastards tried to make off with my chess set. Luckily, we slaughtered him before he made it a hundred feet. Note to self: Maybe the mining duo aren't so bad after all.Entry 10: Good news. Ralion and Raryn have announced their intent to marry! Well, technically, they married ten seconds after he proposed (Apparently AnarchyLad got her license to wed shortly before we left the Mountainhomes. She claims that marriage rates rise 180% in the presence of shale. The woman terrifies me.), but I suppose that they were engaged for a time.Entry 11: Some migrants have arrived. Apparently, reports of our current successes have reached home. I'll be processing them in the next few days.Unfortunately, we'll have to cut back on alcohol consumption even more now. Shite.

Seriously, the game is incredibly complicated. You don't really have a chance to figure it out in five minutes. If you want to play it, you should be prepared to sit down and do some wikireading and a lot of experimenting in-game. Like when I had a cannal failure and almost drowned two levels of my fortress. That was fun.

Logged

Cute: Anything that will bring a horrible death upon unwanted visitors.

You know when they warn you about some crazy showing up here? That's me they're talking about. Tea?

Entry 12: I've had some time to interview the newest arrivals, and have compiled their psychological profiles. Besides an unusually high frequency of strange nicknames, everything appears to be... normal? What's a bit distressing is that, soon after the recent marriage, Inod Asoltar requested that everyone begin calling him "Gezkill", Urist Nishisak chose "McNinja", Aban Degel picked "Drago Solaris", and Mistem Mosussobir took "Sok". There may be a contaminant in the water.

I'll probably have time to write more extensively now, with all these new hands. Since it appears that I've been trusted with the important decisions around here, I figure that it's time we got some protection up and running. Kobolds aren't known for their mercy. One of the new people, a suave dwarf with the interesting moniker of "Flying Teapot" caught my eye as a candidate for Sheriff. We'll see.Tokkie's Note: I'm finding that there's an enormously high ratio of females:males, and that's causing people to get mid-dwarf sex changes. I hope that no one minds, because I really don't want to switch around names every time I get an immigrant wave. On another note, I'll have the next post up later today. Waiting for something to happen.

Entry 13: The well is complete! The meeting hall is now open for business, and we are all very excited. Not as excited as I'll be when that first mug of sweeeeeet ale gets poured, but regardless, it's a time for celebration. Good feelings abound!Entry 14: Ugh. Testosterone. The meatbags in our newly established sleeping hall insist on pounding the beards out of each other all day, citing their reason as "ain't no beer and ain't nothin' ta kill" and threatening participation on anyone who voices their annoyance. I'll never understand the type. The barracks should be completed within the week, so long as no-one gets a bed lodged in their rectum.Entry 15: Uvad Vabokzim, one of the unskilled laborers, suddenly withdrew from society and claimed our newly built craft shop. In what can only be described as a blessing from Shin, he soon produced an amazing item that he refers to as Kintan, or Oakticked in the old tongue. Though it seems to have no practical use, the miniature wooden forge will fetch a fine price at the next trade caravan.